Infinite Stratos: Rearrangement
by xHalcyon
Summary: Tranquil school days are disrupted when the youngest of the Orimura siblings enrolls at IS Academy, much to a certain teacher's distress. Will his reputation survive? A love comedy set in an alternate universe.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Hello, I hope you enjoy my very first work of self-initiated creative writing! Never really appreciated how much work authors on this site have to put in until I did it myself so this was truly an eye opener for me! I can say that I was inspired by several works within this fandom, among them vendetta543's work IS: Reversal, the works of fujin of shadows (RIP) and fangking2 (also RIP), and also imherepresent's IS: Truth be Told. You will see the influence of the latter three authors if I end up continuing this.

Reviews welcome, constructive criticism even more so. Still not used to writing fiction at all, so please let me know what I can improve on (formatting, phrasing, whatever).

* * *

It was a beautiful spring day. Or at least that is what the young man thought as he gazed out the window of the monorail speeding along the gleaming track that would take him to his destination. Soon enough, the spark white train arrived at the IS Academy station, and he stepped onto the platform holding his plain black leather briefcase securely. He took a moment to admire his surroundings. Though he was quite familiar with the Academy, he could still appreciate its gleaming spire and state-of-the-art facilities.

As he walked through campus, the man absently greeted staff and students alike, inciting a storm of blushes and giggles as he passed. But in the middle of a corridor, he suddenly came to a halt and turned around. _I have a quick meeting before the lecture. _He remembered._ But Maya can handle the students if I am held up. Hopefully this year's class is less troublesome so for once I can have a peaceful year. _

Clearing his idle thoughts, he began moving once more, but as he headed in the opposite direction towards the conference room, he wondered why he was suddenly feeling a chill of foreboding.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Wah~ She's so pretty"

"Like a princess. No, an angel"

"Her skin looks so soft"

"I thought it would be terrible going to a school without boys, but now I don't think it's so bad.."

Were the type of lovestruck (?) exclamations heard among many of the first year girls discussing one of their classmates, a beautifully slender young lady sitting near the front of the room. Dark locks framed her flawless face set with a pair of deep red eyes, and the rest of her lustrous raven hair was tied in a loose ponytail that reached the small of her back. Though the white IS Academy blazer and skirt did little to accentuate her figure, it was apparent that although she could not be called busty, she was nowhere near flat, and still had quite a promising future.

_I can hear you, you know…. _The object of their attention looked a little uncomfortable with the increasingly ardent compliments, and her expression became more and more unsettled as the nature of the comments veered towards worrying territories.

"Lucky that there are communal baths here"

"Plenty of chances...

"I wonder if she's open to experimentation…"

It was too much for the girl, who shot an alarmed and pleading look at another dark haired beauty sitting a few seats away, who she recognized when she initially took her seat.

'I'm not that kind of girl!' her eyes seemed to scream. 'Houki, rescue me!'

But the would-be savior turned away. A wave of despair swallowed up her being.

_After six years of not seeing her, she abandons me in my time of need? How heartless._

When she had all but given up hope, fate decided to intervene. The fawning was interrupted by the arrival of a petite woman in a yellow dress.

* * *

"M-my name is Yamada Maya. Everyone's he-here, right? Then let's start the student homeroom meeting"

The green-haired assistant teacher stood in front of the holographic screen and somewhat nervously began directing the class.

Yamada Maya was young-looking, so much so that if not paying attention one could easily mistake her for a student. In fact, judging from the mood of the classroom it was already obvious that her students were looking at her and thinking 'she looks like a kid forced into adult clothes'.

"Now, let's move on to self-introductions. Mm, we'll go by seating arrangements."

The introductions proceeded smoothly for some time, with each student giving their name and a few of their interests or goals for their IS education.

"W-well that is it for the 'あ' (a), and now we're at 'お' (o). So, next is…. Orimura Madoka?!" The assistant teacher appeared surprised after reading the name.

Taking a deep breath, the girl who had previously been the center of attention stood up and found herself once again subject to a classroom full of unrelenting and hungry (?) stares.

With as much poise as she could muster, which was considerable, she stated "My name is Orimura Madoka. I'll be in your care…"

She bowed. The schoolgirls looked at Madoka expecting a continuation, but underneath the pressure of intense scrutiny, made doubly so by the clearly indecent thoughts swimming through their minds as they beheld her enchanting appearance, her nerve began to fail.

After a moment of paralysis, Madoka came to a decision. "And that is all", she concluded.

""THAT'S ALL?!""

Seeing several of her classmates collapse in disappointment, Madoka felt a drop of sweat slide down her temple. _There's no way I could feel comfortable talking about myself in that kind of situation_.

"Th-that was… I-I mean to say–"

Yamada began stuttering and looked about to cry as she vainly tried to express her disapproval of the too-brief introduction, but Madoka, much how a lioness corners a wounded gazelle, sensed her floundering and pounced. _If I can sit down before she finishes a sentence I am safe – her will is not strong enough to disrupt the flow of the classroom and make me repeat my introduction. Victory… is mine!_

But just as Madoka was about to seize her opportunity…

—PAM!—

… something exceedingly painful struck her head.

"Just what kind of introduction was that?"

Madoka recognized the hit - suitable force, perfect angle, acceptable speed… only one person could have performed it. Eyes widened, she spun around to face her attacker while clutching the crown of her head.

"Eh, Guan Yu?"

—PAM!—

"Who's a hero in the Romance of Three Kingdoms, idiot?" came an even voice with a hint of irritation.

Midnight hair of medium length for a male, neater than it had been during his school days. Tall and slim, a body line that did not look overly muscular even after intense physical conditioning. Clear lilac eyes that reminded one of the unforgiving tundra. Sharp but extremely handsome features. All in all, an almost unfairly perfect specimen of a man wrapped in a fitted grey suit, currently with a small scowl marring his face and a lightly smoking attendance book held in one hand.

"Ah, Orimura-sensei, is the meeting over?"

"Yamada-sensei." He greeted in a calmer tone. "Yes, it is. Apologies for my lateness. It's been tough on you, forcing you to make them introduce themselves."

"No, it's nothing. As the assistant homeroom teacher, if I can't even do that..."

Yamada answered in an upbeat voice and attentive look, as if she hadn't nearly burst into tears.

"In any case, I will take it from here". He turned to the class.

"Everyone, my name is Orimura Ichika and my duty is that for this one year, I'll be training you in the operations and controls of IS. Everything I teach, you have to remember and understand. To those who can't understand, I'll teach them till they can. My job is to thoroughly train you during your first year, from the age of 15 to 16. You can dislike my attitude, but you still have to do what I say. Understood?"

Though certainly one would expect a declaration of this variety to inspire great fear in the class of first year students, or perhaps dismay that such a strict taskmaster is responsible for their education, the reality was exactly the opposite.

"KYAAA—! It's Ichika-sama, it's the real Ichika-sama himself!"

"I've always been your fan!"

"I came to this school from North Kyuushuu because I admired you, onii-sama!"

"I came all the way from southern Hokkaido!"

"I'm so happy to be taught by Ichika-sama!"

"I'll gladly die for Ichika-sama!"

Wearing a disheartened expression, Ichika regarded his fanatical devotees.

"...it's really quite a sight to see so many idiots gather here every year. What a surprise? Or is there a special reason? Are these fools only here to attend my class?" he mumbled dejectedly.

"KYAAAHH! ONII-SAMA! SCOLD US MORE! CONTINUE TO SCOLD US MORE!"

"BUT BE GENTLE TO US FROM TIME TO TIME!"

"AND BE EXTREMELY DIGNIFIED AFTERWARDS~!"

It took Ichika several moments to quiet down his (too) enthusiastic students, but he soon managed it by slamming his hand on the table and emitting an aura of what no doubt could be death itself, ghostly black flames flickering around him as his presence seemed to expand and fill the room. The unassuming attendance book in his hand began to glow with an ominous miasma, as if it hungered for the souls of the damned.

"….." Nobody dared speak anymore.

"Now that I have your attention, we will finish up the introductions" The oppressive atmosphere vanished. "But first, Orimura!"

The class' attention once more snapped to the alluring girl who had remained standing up to now.

"H-hai, Nii-cha..."

—PAM!—

"It is Orimura-sensei while we are at school"

Shocked murmurs followed this exchange

"Sensei's younger sister?!"

"No wonder she's gorgeous"

"Being related to him, it'd be impossible not to be"

"Huh, after being seeing her brother, don't you think she's acting a bit differently?"

In contrast to her composed handling of the previous confrontation with Maya, this Madoka was meek as a kitten, unable to look her instructor in the eye and instead directing a flushed gaze down to the floor. Ichika silenced the classroom with another glare and continued.

"Your previous introduction was far from adequate. Please repeat it once again, and this time make your likes, dislikes, and goals at this academy known."

"Bu-but I can't with all these people…" she fidgeted in place.

—PAM!—

"Do it. This is an order as your sensei. And be truthful".

"..."

"Now." he ordered with finality.

* * *

She steeled herself, gathering all of her willpower and closing her crimson orbs. When she opened them, they held an unyielding resolution, the same determination that drove warriors to die for their nations. She began slowly.

"My name is Orimura Madoka, and like all of you this is my first year at IS Academy. Previously I attended middle school nearby. I am not great at making friends, but I hope we can all get along. As for my likes, I like nii-chan's soft hair that is so relaxing to run my hands through, his steady voice that calms me when I am upset, his cool expression when he deals with other people, and even more his cute helpless expression when he begs me to help him with basic household things. I also like his…."

Madoka's speech quickened as she continued, her fair face rapidly exploding into a full-blown blush as her embarrassment reached epic levels. The life in Ichika's eyes flickered and was extinguished as the weight of his folly became apparent. _'Be truthful', was it? I gravely miscalculated._ Caught off-guard, he was rooted in place and unable to stem the flow of outrageous proclamations that was erupting like geyser.

"… dislike how he is sometimes mean to me, like when nii-chan will always refuse me a real kiss on White Day no matter how much love I put into his valentine chocolate – I can't always be satisfied with just a peck on the cheek or forehead so I have to steal them when he is sleeping! Or when he is too strict and —PAM—'s me on the head. I lose 5000 brain cells each time that happens! Ah, and I also really dislike women who try to get close to nii-chan, especially blondes or green-haired hussies. But nothing is worse than…"

Halfway through she had begun inching towards her brother, who was still too stupefied to react. By the time Ichika noticed, her arms had already encircled his torso, and she clung to him like a rock in a storm, as if relying on his support to make it through to the end. She finished with her eyes shut in an adorable expression that in a less absurd situation would make anyone fall in love with her instantly.

"My goal at this academy is to learn all I can about the IS and become strong enough to be acknowledged by nii-chan! Strong enough to defeat any challengers for nii-chan's heart! Furthermore, after achieving this I will become nii-chan's bride and have him make me a woman! We will have at least two children and live happily ever after!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

A monumental silence was the response of the class. Madoka's once-lively peers were totally still, petrified and left vacantly staring straight ahead as their brains attempted rebooting after trying and failing to absorb what she had passionately declared in so many words.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Wait for it…

"""EHHHHH?!"""

Ichika recovered first and palmed his face, utterly mortified and still within the grasp of the destroyer of his credibility as a professional. But if one were to look closely they would notice a hint of redness peeking through in between his fingers. He glanced down at Madoka, and noted with wry detachment that having spent all of her willpower she had fainted in humiliation, her unconscious body propped up against his own.

_I was a fool to hope this year would be peaceful._

* * *

Author's Note:

Well that's it! Hope you guys had fun reading it. Tried to make it lighthearted so I hope that got through to you.

Anyways, as you can see for this story I got the idea of flipping the some roles... if I ever get to update this you'll see someone else make an appearance...

I am not a very efficient writer so this took a good eight hours of work to put out, even though I cheated a little and ripped some dialogue straight from the source material. Sadly, it is also for this reason that you should not expect an update to this soon, or perhaps ever - I am actually very busy most of the time and I never actually intended to write this at all. But who knows? I might be bitten by the writing bug again sometime soon...

Even so, please treat this chapter as a one-shot. I hate to do this to you guys, but I surprised even myself when I actually wrote this.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Remember when I said I wouldn't update soon? Well, I guess I lied. Here is the new chapter.

A big shoutout to my 20 (as of this writing) followers! Never written anything for an audience before, so I'm glad to have your support.

Reviews welcome, as always.

* * *

"Nnnn…."

Madoka sat up and blearily rubbed her eyes, blinking slowly as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings.

_I must be in the infirmary. Stupid nii-chan, making me say those embarrassing things._

Just the memory of what she had boldly announced caused her face to heat up again.

"Ah, you're awake!" Came a bright voice

The cream-colored curtains surrounding her were pulled away, revealing who had spoken – a very attractive, if somewhat androgynous, woman in her mid-twenties with radiant blonde hair and amethyst eyes. Dressed in a stylish ensemble of a teal blouse and black pencil skirt underneath a white lab coat, she greeted Madoka with kind smile.

"Yamada-sensei brought you here after you fainted. She wouldn't tell me why, but I must say, I didn't know Ichika-kun had such a pretty imouto."

Though pleased by the compliment, Madoka was a little irked that this strange woman referred to her brother so intimately. But she was soon distracted when the woman approached her bedside.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing?"

Madoka tried to back away as the school doctor suddenly closed the distance between them. Of course, being confined to a hospital bed meant that she had very little room to maneuver.

Her fears were unfounded as the blonde simply patted her on the head, as if she were a puppy.

"Oh? I'm just trying to know one of my cute patients better. Also, if you're feeling up to it, you seem fine to go to back to class, Madoka-chan. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

The schoolgirl relaxed, giving her doctor a warmer look; she could definitely see herself getting along with this incredibly caring lady - the French woman's demeanor simply put her at ease.

"Not at all, sensei. I'm sorry, but you haven't introduced yourself."

"Oh yes, silly me. I'm Charlotte Dunois, but you can call me onee-san." She blushed prettily. "After all, one day I will marry Ichika-kun and we'll become family."

Madoka grinned and nodded.

"Okay, onee-sa…"

Her expression froze as Charlotte's words registered in her mind. Madoka's happiness evaporated, replaced by a slowly building storm of righteous fury.

"What d-did you just say?!" She managed to choke out in a strangled voice.

Charlotte failed to detect this abrupt and violent change of mood.

"He's never mentioned me? How strange. Well, I never got along with my… relatives, and a few years back Ichika-kun helped me get away from them. He even promised to protect me, like a real knight in shining armor. What else could that be but a marriage proposal? " The older blonde sighed dreamily.

Madoka could hold back her rage no longer.

"MARRIAGE PROPOSAL? THERE'S NO WAY I CAN ACCEPT THAT REASONING! CALL YOU ONEE-SAN? LIKE HELL I WILL!" she roared indignantly.

The agitated girl stomped out of the infirmary, slamming the door behind her.

Charlotte blinked.

"What's gotten into her?"

* * *

_Agh, nii-chan is such a womanizer! What about the beautiful girl waiting for him at home? Who gave him permission to go abroad and steal the hearts of foreign maidens? Certainly not me!_

Betrayed thoughts ran through Madoka's head, and it took a few more minutes of furious pacing before she calmed down enough to think rationally.

_Charlotte Dunois. While she is a threat, she has a fatal weakness. Simply put, I can already tell she is the 'cute + shy' type... and nii-chan is a total blockhead when it comes to women._

Madoka cracked a small smile. Though her too-handsome-for-his-own-good brother attracted women completely effortlessly, at least it was unintentional and he was largely oblivious to their feelings. In fact, she could not remember a time in all of her childhood that Ichika had shown the slightest interest in romance, despite the hordes of fangirls that swarmed him whenever he was seen in public. Though it frustrated Madoka that this immunity to feminine charm applied to herself as well, in this instance his indifference provided some comfort. Unless Charlotte had the courage to outright confess to him, which was unlikely, she had nothing to worry about.

_Thank Heaven for small mercies._

Thus assured, she made her way back to homeroom.

* * *

In the classroom.

"Well, it's settled then…"

Ichika was in the middle of addressing the class when Madoka quietly slid the door open and took few steps into the room.

"Oh, Orimura. Just in time." He stated professionally and without a trace of familiarity.

The elder sibling had apparently managed to recover his dignity following the previous incident, and his 'teacher persona' was firmly in place. But then, their eyes met, and both were reminded of what had transpired that morning.

Her face flushed. His cool façade slipped a fraction. The two siblings temporarily lost themselves as they shared a small 'moment'.

Squeals from their audience jolted them back to reality.

"Such a touching scene!"

"I knew it! Sibling pairing confirmed~"

"What a questionable relationship… I bet they xxx and xxx all the time at home"

"Could anyone please repeat that last bit?" Ichika put on a scary grin and held up his attendance book. A dark cloud spontaneously appeared in the sky and blotted out the sun.

When nobody answered, the teacher dropped the issue, giving a tired sigh and pinching the bridge of his nose. Light once more streamed through the windows.

"As I was saying, Orimura, this class has nominated you to be their representative. The class representative will not only compete in the tournament, but will also attend student council meetings and committee meetings as well. Well, you can consider it like a class leader. As a side note, the inter-class battles are meant to gauge each enrolled class' ability. Though there isn't much difference right now, competition will encourage further improvement."

"W-Wait a second! I don't want this-!"

The surprised girl made her dissatisfaction known.

"I said that no matter whether you nominated yourself or someone else nominated you, the one nominated doesn't have the right to refuse. The one nominated should be prepared already."

"Ev-Even if I'm not willing-"

"Hold on a minute! I can't accept this outcome!"

Her protests were cut off by as a blonde girl with a blue headband slammed her hands on her desk and stood up. The interloper's voice, both loud and high-pitched, grated on Madoka's nerves.

"Only I, Cecilia Alcott, representative candidate for Britain and elite of the elite, have the skill and the breeding to lead this class. Only the most talented can be the class representative, and I'm the most suitable one!"

_First that delusional doctor, then this stuck up twat! This is why I hate blondes._

Madoka frowned in annoyance, but decided that she would be the bigger person and give up the position without a fight. Or at least she would have, had Cecilia not continued her rant.

"Besides, I would rather die than be represented by this shameless bro-con pervert!"

(Tick-mark).

"Pervert?! How dare you! My love for nii-… Orimura-sensei is as pure as can be! I don't just lust for his body," she sputtered angrily. _'Even though I wouldn't complain if he decided to ravish me one night'_ she added internally.

"What a joke! How can you be in love with your own brother? Whoever raised you must have done a terrible job."

"YOU BIT-!"

—PAM!—

—PAM!—

"Alcott, refrain from insulting your classmates. And Orimura, stop thinking inappropriate things."

_Urk! Did he read my mind earlier?_

Ichika looked sternly at his two unruly students who felt the sharp pain of the attendance book smacking their craniums.

"Since the two of you both want the position and cannot settle your differences, I propose an IS duel to determine the representative for Class 1-1. Any complaints?"

Following this announcement, Cecilia and Madoka became fired up.

"None. With my Blue Tears, I'll crush her and show her what it means to be a representative candidate!"

"Bring it on, you prissy Brit! It won't even be challenge."

The two pilots glared at one another, figurative lightning bolts clashing between their narrowed eyes.

"Then we have a common understanding. The battle will take place next Monday in the 3rd arena. Orimura and Alcott, make sure you are well prepared. Now, let's get back to the lesson."

Ichika confirmed the date and, with a clap, ended the conversation.

* * *

After school.

Madoka yawned as she searched the dormitory for her assigned room.

_Maa~ what a tiring first day. The curriculum here is intense. If I hadn't prepared beforehand there is no way I could keep up._

Her thoughts soon turned to their usual subject, namely, her beloved elder sibling.

_Didn't expect nii-chan's mysterious job to be a teacher here at IS Academy. I always thought he was some kind of assassin or secret agent. _

Today, Madoka had finally figured out why her brother showed up at home only once or twice a month for most of the year. As IS Academy was a boarding school, there were also accommodations for staff members to live on campus during the term.

Still, she wondered why it was kept from her – for what reason did he dodge all of her questions if he was not rappelling down skyscrapers and sniping crime lords in the dead of night? Unbeknownst to her, the true reason was that Ichika knew his territorial wildcat of a sister would flip a table (or worse - try to infiltrate his workplace) if she knew he was surrounded by beautiful females all day, so to spare himself the headache he had elected to keep his occupation a secret. But back to the story.

Eventually, Madoka managed to locate her dorm room.

"Hm? It's here, right? Room 1025."

She was about to insert her key, but noticed the wooden door was left slightly ajar. Shrugging, she stepped inside the room and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of its furnishings.

Spacious and tastefully decorated, the student accommodation was on par with a suite in a luxury hotel. But what most caught Madoka's attention was the pair of large, comfortable-looking beds lined up parallel to each other.

She stowed her luggage against the wall and flopped onto the soft sheets in bliss. It was then that that she heard the soft squeak of a shower shutting off.

"Ah, you're my roommate, right? Please take care of me from this year on."

An oddly familiar voice reached her ears, a bit deep but unmistakably feminine.

"I was using the shower, so I'm sorry for looking like this. My name is Shinonono –"

"– Houki...?" Madoka finished in surprise.

A dark-haired girl stepped out of the bathroom clad in nothing but a short towel, which was wrapped around her curvaceous figure. Water droplets slid down her toned body, drawing attention to her well-formed thighs and the valley of her breasts.

The near-naked girl blinked, startled. "Madoka?"

* * *

For several seconds all they could do was marvel at the coincidence.

Houki was the first to react, her expression softening as she gave Madoka a small wave. The swordswoman was unconcerned with her state of dress, for unlike her counterpart in another dimension, her roommate was of the same gender, as she expected.

This prompted Madoka's next action.

"Houki!" The youngest Orimura rushed to her long-lost friend and embraced her, uncaring of her damp skin in the excitement of reuniting with her childhood companion. Let it be said that although Madoka was quite shy when dealing with strangers, among those she was comfortable with she could be quite clingy.

After a second or two of feeling a fresh-smelling body pressed up against her own, Madoka was roughly pushed away.

"Eh?"

Houki's face was aflame, her composure utterly lost. While she was fine with showing some skin to her roommate, it was another thing altogether to be held in close contact with a lovely lady like Madoka, especially with only a thin towel covering her frame.

She let loose a salvo of flustered exclamations.

"Is this some kind of yuri doujinshi?! What are you doing, hugging a girl just out of the shower like that? I see you still haven't changed, you Ichika-obsessed baka! Go get some common sense! Actually, I'll just beat it into you!"

Her eyes glinted dangerously as she hastily grabbed the bokken leaning against the wall…

"H-hey, Houki, let's calm down for a second here…"

…and thrust out at Madoka, lowering her center of gravity to increase her speed and penetrating force.

"Just die!"

Madoka just managed to narrowly dodge her initial assault. She bolted through the entryway, a blur as she shut the door to serve as a barrier between her and the murderous samurai. But she was not out of the woods yet.

—CRACK!—

If not for Ichika's training, Madoka would have been too slow to move. The terrified girl stared incredulously at the tip of the bokken that had somehow managed to pierce through the solid oak door right where her head had been moments before.

_What kind of sword skill is this?_

"Are you really trying to kill me? I'd be dead if I didn't dodge that!"

Madoka complained at the unfairness of it all. She let out a breath as the weapon was pulled back through the hole it made.

"Great, now–"

A new flurry of stabs was attempted.

—CRACK!—

—CRACK!—

—CRACK!—

It took all of Madoka's concentration to avoid the deadly skewers. She took a moment to catch her breath, gasping as she thanked the gods for helping her survive her ordeal. On the other side of the door, she heard Houki growl in frustration as her bokken once again returned free of blood.

"What's going on?"

"Ah, it's Orimura-chan!"

It seemed the commotion caused had drawn out a new menace: their classmates, who, in a large group, stalked forward like a pack of hyenas around a fresh slab of meat upon seeing the red-eyed beauty all alone in the hallway.

"Huh, so Orimura-chan lives in this room? That's a good piece of information~!"

"She looks so vulnerable…. fufufu"

"Oho~ I didn't think I would get this chance so soon…"

As the throng of girls hemmed her in with dubious intentions, Madoka frantically began pounding at the door, which was locked from the inside.

"Houki, Houki-san, please let me in. It's going to turn out badly. I'll apologize, so please, I'm begging you like this," she babbled in desperation.

Much to her great relief, Madoka heard the lock disengage just as 'they' closed in. The door opened partway, and Houki's stony visage peered out from the space.

"…Get in."

* * *

"So you're my roommate, then."

The childhood friends sat on their beds facing each other.

"… I guess it's not so bad, as long as you keep your hands to yourself," the serious one huffed.

Shinonono Houki was really not the type to enjoy being touched. Madoka giggled.

"You're still the same as ever, Houki. Even your hairstyle hasn't changed."

Houki reddened a little at the teasing. "So what?"

"Are you still going to follow nii-chan around, asking for kisses?"

"D-don't confuse me with you!"

Her friend simply smiled before changing the subject.

"By the way, last year, you won the world kendo championship, right? Congratulations."

"Ah, thank you. It was nothing much."

They shared a comfortable silence for a while, lazing about and enjoying their unexpected reunion. Madoka suddenly stretched, and with a grunt she fell backwards flat onto her bed.

"Ne, Houki."

"Yes?"

"I like you a lot…"

_What's this development? She's not confessing to me, is she?_

Houki panicked, her mind in a jumble at the unexpected declaration.

"… so I decided, you can be nii-chan's cover!" the girl concluded cheerfully.

"Cover?" Houki shifted from alarmed to merely curious.

"You know, since society won't accept our love, you can 'date' nii-chan in public so nobody expects that he is seeing ME in private!" Madoka proposed an absurd plan as if it were perfectly reasonable. "...but if I find out you touch him at all, you're dead, got that?" she finished with a 'yandere smile'.

Houki chucked a pillow at her roommate, hitting her right in the face.

"Y-you baka! Enough with the ridiculous ideas. First of all, 'your Ichika' is not a sis-con. Secondly, even if he was, there's no way that plan can work! Even if you ignore the age difference, we are still teacher and student. That's just as forbidden!" She turned to face the wall, fuming.

"Fwahh~ why did you have to rain on my parade?" Madoka sighed disappointedly before giving up on the idea as well.

But even after voicing such a harsh rejection, as she drifted off to sleep, Houki's imagination conjured up the image of a romantic candlelit dinner with a certain lilac-eyed teacher.

_Dating Ichika-sensei, huh? _

However, these thoughts were eventually swallowed up by the oblivion of unconsciousness.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a dimly lit conference room…

An obscured figure sat in a high-backed chair at the head of the table, while another was standing and giving a report. No others were in sight.

"Commander C, preparations are proceeding without issue. Mission parameters have been distributed as per your orders. The unit should be fully equipped and ready to be mobilized within 12 hours"

Not much was interesting about this speaker, a nondescript woman garbed in a basic black uniform.

A pair of ruby eyes flashed in satisfaction at the news. Due to the lighting, not much besides these brilliant features could be discerned.

"Excellent," crooned the owner of those jeweled orbs.

The smooth, sensual voice seemed at home in the darkness. It was the voice of a hunter in the night, which, at the slightest provocation or hint of weakness, would mercilessly devour its chosen target. At the same time, it carried an undercurrent of tenderness, but one that, rather than putting listeners at ease, merely enhanced the terror it evoked.

The unnamed operative shivered.

"Squall. Autumn." Two new women stepped from the shadows. A blonde and an orangette. "Follow her to the hangar and see what last-minute adjustments are necessary. You are dismissed".

"Understood." The three subordinates said in unison. They snapped their heels together, saluted and left the room, eager to get away from the intimidating Commander C. Just being in the same room with the ruthless demon made their hearts beat twice as fast.

Now alone in the sparsely furnished chamber, the enigmatic woman allowed a bit of tension to unwind. She leaned listlessly back in her chair before reaching into her coat and pulling out a shimmering golden locket. Cracking it open, she raised it to eye level and gazed lovingly, lustfully, obsessively at the photograph within.

"I hope you've grown, my darling Ichika. Onee-san is coming to see you very soon."

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, that's it for this installment. Enjoy!

Man, writing character introductions is tiring. Four new characters in one chapter took a lot out of me. Hope you guys don't mind what I did to Charlotte. I just couldn't think of what to do with her plot-wise so I thought 'what the heck, I'll just roll with it'. But let me know what you guys think.

I'm still debating what to do with Laura and Rin. Would you prefer I put Laura in her canon role, or do something original with her? As for Rin, I don't think she would add anything to the story so I'm considering cutting her out entirely.

And yeah, I know the last scene is mega cliche ('Bwahaha, I'm a supervillain. I'm so mysterious. What could I possibly be planning?'). I can't be original all the time.

Also, you might complain that Ichika has too little screen time this chapter. And you would be right. I noticed that too. The plot in the LN makes it difficult to fit him into the character introductions, but when I diverge from the source material it will be much easier to focus on him, starting from next chapter.

But for real this time. Don't expect a quick update for the next chapter. I can't believe I procrastinated on my ACTUAL work to write this. What am I doing with my life?


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

These chapters keep getting longer...

Sorry about that false update earlier, dear readers. Forgot that I left a placeholder for a scene that I hadn't written yet.

* * *

The only male teacher on the academy island awoke feeling refreshed. Though the first day of term had begun as a very stressful morning, by the afternoon period, the class – even his rambunctious imouto – had settled down and begun actually behaving like the top-flight students that had gained entrance to the prestigious academy. Yamada, too, had proved to be competent, if a bit airheaded, help, and Ichika was quite glad that he could delegate some of his responsibilities to the youthful assistant.

After showering and dressing himself, he sat at his breakfast table sipping a cup of fresh-ground coffee, reading the news and enjoying the crisp sea breeze that blew through his open veranda door. One of the perks of being a dorm supervisor at IS Academy was the penthouse apartment, which took up the entire top floor of the residence hall and almost made worth the headaches he suffered dealing with an entire building full of excitable teenage girls.

All in all, Ichika was feeling quite content, and this mood persisted as he made his way towards his classroom to deliver his morning lecture.

_Today is going to be a good day. I can feel it._ He stopped outside the room and opened the door, but before even taking a step inside, he was caught in the throat by a flying kick from a heeled yellow boot.

…._Never mind. _

Of course, being Ichika Orimura, champion of the first Mondo Grosso, would-be winner of the second, and widely-acknowledged 'strongest in the world', meant that a simple kick, no matter how fast, how heavy, or even which type of footwear was worn, would be ineffective. Where an ordinary human would be blown back, gasping for air from a crushed windpipe, Ichika did not budge an inch, his bare neck unbelievably halting his attacker's momentum and sending her crashing to the ground.

He fixed the twin-tailed girl sprawled on the floor with an ominously serene stare, making her sweat uncomfortably as she internally began saying her prayers. The calm would not last for long - it started as a trickle, but soon Ichika's murderous aura burst out in a tsunami.

"Oi. Huang, what is the meaning of this, so early in the morning?" He asked with a deceptively composed tone and a close-eyed smile, one that promised ten thousand years of agony and torment. His accidental assailant paled.

* * *

A few minutes earlier.

Madoka and Houki had gone to breakfast together and spent the meal chatting amicably, the friends catching up on six years of lost time. Their conversation continued as they trooped from the cafeteria to the hallway outside their classroom, and Houki was regaled with a (slightly embellished) account of her roommate's kidnapping.

"….Is that how it really happened?"

Houki had an unconvinced look on her face.

"Uh-huh! Nii-chan swooped in with his IS, the Kurezakura, picked me up in a princess carry, and flew me out of the warehouse into the sunset…."

Reality: It was barely past midday, and Ichika had tucked her under one arm like a bundle of firewood in his haste to get clear of the area.

"….and then he proclaimed he'd never leave me again! Yes, on that day he confessed his everlasting love!"

Reality: His words were something like "I should never have left you alone without supervision", muttered more to himself than Madoka.

"Ahhh~ Just the memory of his desperate expression when he found me makes me want to spend the day cuddling with him."

She started to drool as she daydreamed with a faraway look. Madoka was getting carried away again.

"Still having weird fantasies, huh? Mado-baka." an exasperated voice sighed.

"?!"

The spaced-out girl snapped back into angry awareness upon hearing those words.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT…. Rin? What are you doing here?"

She was surprised to find that her second childhood friend had also entered IS Academy and, on top of that, managed to sneak up next to her without her noticing (though this second part was hardly an accomplishment, with her being away in lala-land). Madoka took in the petite brunette's appearance, which had hardly changed since she had last seen her a year ago. The same twin ponytails, tied with yellow ribbons. The same green eyes, which were often, as now, narrowed mischievously. The same fanged, challenging grin.

The now-named Rin smirked.

"I'm a student here, of course. Actually, I'm not just a student. I'm a representative candidate and also the rep for Class 1-2," the Chinese girl boasted smugly.

Then, she climbed atop a desk and, pointing at Madoka, loudly announced, "Today, I came to declare war!"

Rin proclaimed this with all the air of a foreign dignitary, but the black-haired beauty she was addressing stared blandly back. She knew her friend too well to be impressed by her dramatic gesture.

"What are you acting cool for? It seriously doesn't suit you," Madoka replied in a deadpan.

"Wha...? Why are you saying it like that?" Rin faltered at the response, but after a moment of fluster regained her confidence. "Anyways, I heard you were dueling some British girl for your class' spot in the tournament. Just came here to tell you that even if you beat her, you'll definitely lose to me, Lingyin Huang."

She added her full name in for the benefit of Madoka's classmates, who were observing the exchange with curiosity.

"Ha, as if! If there's one person I'll never lose to, it's you!"

They traded fierce stares, but as opposed to the ill-will shared between Cecilia and Madoka during their standoff, these looks were filled with a friendlier sort of rivalry. While their words were biting, it was clear the two girls were enjoying the banter – at least until it got a little too personal.

"Oh please, you don't stand a chance against me, especially in a battle" Rin's cocky attitude reared its head, raising Madoka's ire. She showed off the shiny red bracelet on her right wrist. "You don't even have a personal IS!"

"Like I need one to beat you, you flat-chested child!"

As she had done many times during middle school, Madoka prodded at Rin's 'weak point', sending her flying into a rage.

"WHY YOU–!" Rin roared before leaping, her leg extended.

It happened almost in slow motion. Madoka, with impressive reflexes, shifted to her left while deflecting the kick with her forearm, sending Rin off-course towards the door, which was just now opening to reveal a certain handsome, dark-haired teacher.

Which brings us to the current moment.

"I-Ichika-san, didn't see you there… hehehehe…" Rin started laughing nervously in a high pitch from her position on the floor, trying desperately to blow off the situation as if it had never happened.

But Ichika was having none of that. Stoically, he spoke.

"Call me Orimura-sensei! And hurry back to class…. after you wake up."

"Eh? But I am awak-"

**—PAAAMMMMM!—**

Everyone witnessing his divine fury, Madoka included, shuddered and turned away. When they looked back, Rin lay prone on the ground, slain thrice over. An unconcerned Ichika shrugged, adjusted his tie, and began the morning announcements, completely ignoring her twitching corpse. It was halfway through the period that Class 1-2's leader regained consciousness and wobbled unsteadily out of enemy territory.

* * *

After that display, the class had passed without incident. To the students it was clear (at least in their minds) that their teacher had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, and so to avoid provoking any further 'fatalities' they had done their best to stay on task.

"You are free for lunch period. We will continue with basic ground maneuvers when we reconvene after the break." Ichika dismissed the class, who filed out skittishly.

Houki and Madoka were headed to the roof, holding their boxed lunches, when they came across Rin, who appeared to have recovered somewhat but was still wincing as she nursed her abused skull with a cold compress.

"Are you feeling alright, Rin?" Madoka called out worriedly from behind the Chinese representative.

Turning in recognition, the girl caught sight of the two dark-haired schoolgirls.

"Oh, Madoka. Well, I could be better… maa~ that demon is scary as ever." Rin complained.

"Don't call nii-chan a demon!"

"I'll call him what I feel like! Besides, there's no way that stupidly strong brother of yours is just human!"

But before the two could continue their bickering, Houki cut in with her own opinion on the matter.

"Ichika-san was always very serious, even when we were children, but now that he is a teacher he is even stricter. It would be wise to be careful the next time you visit our class, Huang-san," the girl advised solemnly as if she were a sage dispensing some great wisdom.

"Too true…" Rin smiled weakly before shivering and turning to Houki. "Who are you, again?"

At this question, Madoka stepped in.

"Ah! I forgot to introduce you guys. Rin, this is Houki. Oh, I told you about her before, right? She's a childhood friend I've known since grade school, the daughter of the dojo owner where I used to go to train kendo. And Houki, this is Rin, my second childhood friend."

"Childhood friend...?" asked Houki.

"Oh – let me see…. Houki's family moved out when she had just finished 4th grade, right? Rin transferred in during 5th grade. After that, she went back to China when she finished her sophomore year in Middle school, so it's been about a year since I last saw her."

The two strangers regarded each other warily, but politely.

"Nice to meet you, I hope we can get along."

"Yeah, me too."

Introductions out of the way, the three made their way to the rooftop. They sat together on the green lawn of the roof and each pulled out their own cloth-wrapped boxed lunch.

"So, Huang-san, do you cook?" Houki asked.

"Do I cook? I'm the best cook there is! And enough with the formalities, call me Rin." The fanged schoolgirl replied good-naturedly.

Rin unwrapped her box, opened the lid, and proudly showed Houki the meat and rice dish within.

"Gaze upon my beautiful sweet and sour pork!"

The pretty swordswoman admired the succulent pork pieces, slow-cooked to perfection.

"Wow, that looks great! But I won't lose, take a look at my crispy chicken!"

This time it was Rin's turn to be impressed, salivating as she imagined biting into the golden texture of the fried meat.

"Not bad at all! Say, you should join me and Madoka in one of our cooking competitions!" the Chinese girl eagerly suggested. "When we were in middle school we had a lot of them – since we're rivals – and the contests gave us really good practice."

"Sure, we could trade recipes," Houki answered.

She glanced Madoka, who had been watching the interaction of her two childhood friends with a grin, glad that they were getting along so well. .

"What about you, Madoka? You were working hard last night on your lunch for today."

"Eh? Well, of course I worked hard! It wasn't just for… me…." she trailed off, looking down at the unusually large bundle in her arms.

Madoka froze. Then, a dawning comprehension appeared on her now-pale face.

"I FORGOT TO GIVE NII-CHAN HIS BENTO!"

After standing up in a hurry, she gathered her things and frantically rushed off in a sprint, clutching her precious cargo. Rin and Houki looked at each other as a trail of dust was kicked up and left behind in her wake.

"So… I've always wondered… has she always been like that?" Rin asked.

Houki calmly took a sip of her canned tea. "Unfortunately."

* * *

With Ichika.

After letting his class out for lunch, the homeroom teacher and his assistant had stayed behind to get the room in order when the school's blonde-haired doctor had "coincidentally" dropped by and invited the two of them for lunch. Seeing no harm in accepting, both Ichika and Maya agreed and the three made idle conversation as they walked.

"Ano, Ichika-kun, you should take it easy sometimes on your students. I had one girl come to me today with some serious head trauma," Charlotte, the ever-caring doctor, voiced concernedly.

"That _was_ a little harsh, even for Orimura-sensei…" Maya agreed.

"She wasn't my student, just one of my sister's friends," he casually replied. "Huang came over a lot when Madoka was younger so I'm sure she's used to it."

_Isn't that even worse?_ The two women wondered with drops of sweat on their forehead.

They came to the stairway that would take them to the staffroom on an upper floor. Suddenly, Ichika said, "You two can go ahead". The two women glanced inquisitively at him.

"I didn't buy a lunch before class, since I was expecting not to need one today. I'll head down to the cafeteria and meet up with you in the staff room, Charlotte, Maya."

_Really, that girl, promising me a bento but then forgetting to hand it to me. _

Upon hearing this admission, Charlotte suddenly perked up. "Don't worry about lunch! I made a bit extra today, it's pot-au-feu…" the blonde began nervously.

Charlote actually made extra every day on purpose, but just never had the nerve to offer it until a perfect opportunity like was thrust right in front of her. Very endearing, but at the same time also very sad.

"I m-mean… since you don't have a lunch and all, I thought, you know, if you wante–"

"DON'T YOU DARE, YOU FRENCH FLOOZY!"

A scandalized cry came from a landing above them, causing the three staff members to pause and look upwards, where they could see a head of black hair at the roof entrance. They stared as a jealous Madoka blitzed down flights of stairs and came to a stop in front of them. She approached and cutely presented her delivery, while shooting a quick glare at the _blonde_ who attempted to steal her thunder.

"Here is the bento I made with care last night, Orimura-sensei." She watched her brother expectantly.

But Ichika took the containers, and with a scolding tone, said "Don't run on the stairwell, it's a hazard."

Seeing his little sister deflate, the level-headed teacher realized that he may be acting a little too strict.

"Anyways, thank you, Orimura." he added.

Madoka brightened.

"Well, if you're truly grateful, how about you give me a ki-"

"Denied."

He stated this flatly, but as consolation for his little sister's effort, Ichika gave her a soft pat on the head before offering some words of encouragement.

"Continue to work hard, Madoka." Was that a smile? It was so tiny as to be almost imperceptible.

Madoka looked like she could die of happiness, just about swooning in delight at the praise. A background of pink hearts and sparkles somehow materialized behind her.

"Hold me, nii-chan," she pleaded breathlessly.

—pam!—

"Don't push your luck. And it's Orimura-sensei!"

This chastisement was halfhearted, however, and it was clear that the light smack on the head was given with affection.

The audience of this tender scene provided some commentary. Charlotte looked a bit uneasy at the sight of the siblings being so close. "Ichika is really gentle with his sister, isn't he…" the violet-eyed blonde sighed discontentedly. _Why can't he treat me like that? It took me weeks to get him to call me by my first name!_

Meanwhile, Maya was spectating the interaction with a faint blush. "Yes, he really does appreciate her… but he's usually too embarrassed to show his true feelings, like a true tsundere~" she gushed dreamily, as her imagination supplied weirder and weirder scenarios involving the pair. Instead of being after her superior's heart, it seemed that the assistant teacher was a rare supporter of the 'sibling route'.

As Madoka happily skipped away to rejoin her friends on the rooftop, Ichika turned back to his colleagues.

"Are you thinking something foolish again, Yamada-sensei?" he asked sharply, noticing the glazed look in his green-haired assistant's eyes and the pinkness of her complexion. Ichika really was too perceptive when it came to things like this.

"Huh? Wha- I mean, n-nothing at all!" Maya hurriedly denied.

"Hmmph. Be more discreet with your thoughts."

They continued on their way.

* * *

When the trio entered the staff lounge, it was about half-occupied with other teachers also on their break. After a chorus of greetings, they set down their lunches and took their seats, ready to dig into their meals. However, they were interrupted when the other teachers at the table noticed something out of the ordinary.

"Don't you usually bring a store-bought bento, Orimura-sensei? That looks homemade."

"Could it be? He's finally found a woman?!"

"This is grade-A gossip!"

It seemed that the grown women were a lot like their students in some regards.

"No, this is just something made for me by my sister." Ichika said abruptly in an effort to nip any wild speculation in the bud. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Madoka-chan is a first year in our class," Maya added helpfully.

The teachers tittered in reaction to the news.

"How cute! What a sweet thing to do."

"Open it! I wonder if she's a good cook."

These exclamations attracted some attention, and soon everyone in the staff room had gathered around. Under the scrutiny of many eager pairs of eyes, Ichika lifted the lid of his boxed lunch.

"EHHH? This is…. "

Gasps erupted from the crowd as the contents were revealed. It wasn't as if the food was cooked horribly; on the contrary, if one were to judge it objectively, it was positively mouthwatering. Rather, it was the presentation that left all who beheld the meticulously-prepared meal awed and slightly bewildered.

"This was made by his imouto, right….?"

Madoka had arranged dishes inside the bento in such a way that they formed an image. Two round balls of white rice were the centerpiece, whose seaweed tops bore resemblance to the hairstyles of the two Orimura siblings. Carefully placed sesame seeds formed the cute black eyes and kissy mouths of the humanoid onigiri, which were leaning against each other intimately as heart-shaped carvings of ham and tomato dotted the surrounding bed of green vegetables. It was artful, to say the least, and the amount of delicacy involved in creating the bento would have elicited admiration had the subject matter not been so distracting.

"Huh, there's a note inside the lid."

A pretty red-haired teacher noticed the folded slip of paper and, before Ichika could react, freed it from its confines and read it aloud:

* * *

Nii-chan,

Please enjoy this bento that I made with my feelings. This is the first one, so I decided to make it extra special today [smiley face]. Eat to your heart's content! After all, there will be plenty more of this in the future when we live as a married couple [heart symbol]~

Love and kisses,

Madoka

* * *

The reader shakily put down the note, almost knocking over a glass of water in her incredulity. Nobody had anything to say, least of all the person to whom the saccharine message was addressed – Ichika just put his head down on the table, wishing he could disappear as he felt a multitude of uncomfortable leers prick at the back of his neck.

The gathered staff members had only one thought:

_Orimura-sensei… is actually some kind of sis-con deviant._

A grand misunderstanding was born.

* * *

"Attention, class. Due to a certain incident, Orimura-sensei was feeling... unwell... so he went home for the day." Maya looked very amused. "But don't worry! He left instructions for me to take over."

_Huh? Nii-chan never gets sick. What could make him take the day off?_ Madoka wondered innocently.

Maya continued enthusiastically, "So, let's pick up where we left off, with basic ground maneuvers!"

The afternoon period passed smoothly, as Yamada Maya was a surprisingly good lecturer once she got into a rhythm. Compared to Ichika, who presented the material concisely and without any chance of misinterpretation, Maya's lecturing skills were less refined, but she made up for it with enthusiasm and a willingness to clarify if her students were confused by anything she said.

After the teaching assistant dismissed the class, Madoka began training for her fight the following Monday. Rin had unexpectedly agreed to help her rival in the IS simulations the next day, and Houki, though just as inexperienced as her in operating the robotic exoskeleton, was still a fearsome opponent with a sword.

The two girls were presently cooling down after a spar in the kendo club's arena. Houki had won, as was only fitting for a national champion, but Madoka put up a very good fight. Their bout had drawn quite a few spectators, who were mostly girls curious about the famous Orimura's younger sister.

The samurai girl nodded in approval at her friend and handed her a wet towel.

"Glad to see you haven't neglected your training. Were you in the kendo club in middle school?"

"Hmm? No, I was a member of the cooking club with Rin."

Madoka gratefully accepted the offered cloth. She took off her helmet and tossed back her damp mane of glossy black hair, much to the glee of her audience, who squealed at the sight of her sweaty skin and cheeks flushed from exertion.

"But I did still practice kendo. I can't accomplish my goals by being weak!"

_I suppose that's a good attitude to have, but her goals are a bit suspect…_

Houki was torn between being proud of her childhood friend's work ethic and sighing at her motivations. Regardless, progress was being made.

* * *

Back in his apartment, to which he had fled following the lunchtime spectacle, Ichika was hiding from the world in mortification. He lay face-down on his mattress in a gloom as he reflected on his ever-worsening reputation at his workplace. The sun was beginning to set, tinging the sky with hues of pink and orange.

_Will I even be able to show my face on campus in a week? _

But even as he complained in his thoughts, he couldn't stay mad at his younger sibling, despite her troublesome actions.

After a time, Ichika was torn away from his brooding when a loud ring cut through the dreary silence of the afternoon. Getting up off the bed, the drained teacher walked into the kitchen to answer the phone. He raised the handset to his ear.

"Hello?" He greeted a bit grumpily.

"…."

As the caller spoke, Ichika's face first showed surprise, but then quickly became serious.

"…."

"..."

"You're sure it's them, then? Phantom Task."

The person on the other end confirmed it, and his mood darkened further.

"I see, if it develops further, let me know."

"….."

"No, don't come here, you crazy woman."

"….."

A muffled sound came from the handset. The caller seemed miffed at his rudeness.

"I told you, I'm not your wife! We're not even dating! And if you're going to speak Japanese at least use the correct term!"

He heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"Anyways, just call me again if they do something drastic. Goodbye."

The irritated teacher hung up without waiting for a response. After staring at the handset for a moment, he set it back in its place and began pacing back and forth in agitation. He finally walked to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle at random, pouring himself a tumbler of amber liquid before settling into an armchair in his richly decorated sitting room. Taking a draught from from the clear crystal, Ichika faced the ceiling with a grim, but almost wistful expression.

His thoughts jumped first to a traditional mansion hidden away in a forest, deep in the mountains near Kyoto. Then, they turned to to the wide, desperate eyes of a man with a sword running through his chest, the blood bubbling through his open mouth as he expired. And at last, they settled on the golden locket he guarded preciously, a piece of jewelry that he, as much as he wished to, couldn't bear to throw away.

"Do you still think of me, Chifuyu?"

The words came out in a murmur.

Outside, the sun dipped down below the horizon, drowning the room in a fiery orange as he quietly sat, lost in the memories that he was forever trying to escape.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hehe, sorry for teasing our favorite onee-san's entrance again. Stuff needed to get done before I can begin writing the big debut.

Man, proofreading these chapters is a lot of work. I usually have to comb through my work for like 2 hours before I upload just to fix phrasing and grammar issues.

Anyways, after the Cecilia fight next chapter, this story's going to diverge quite a bit from the light novels, so there's going to be room for a lot more creativity.

Thanks to all the new followers! Leave a review to let me know how I'm doing, and let me know what you'd like to see.


	4. News

Author's Note:

My deepest apologies, readers, for not updating in so long. For the past few months I haven't had time to even read fanfics let alone write my own! I have no excuse other than being busy with schoolwork and the job hunt since I'm in my final year of university. Good news on those fronts, actually: I am now officially DONE with exams for now (meaning more time to write) and I've also somehow managed to line up a job for after my graduation in May (which also means more time to write)!

Now is where you all can begin to hate me, though, because I had initially intended to get a complete chapter out for you guys on Christmas. I regret to inform you, though, that this didn't happen (and isn't likely to happen for another month) because I am a HUGE IDIOT.

Let me elaborate. I had actually written the meat of this chapter months ago, but had a lot of trouble writing the action sequence in the middle (Madoka vs Cecilia). Being the procrastinator I am, I put it off. I told myself that I would get it done over this break and splice it together with the rest of the chapter. Now had everything gone according to plan, this would be no problem.

But you see, my laptop was having troubles so I bought a new one a few weeks ago, and I _**accidentally left the old one behind at school with all my latest work still inside**_ :( :( :(. So yeah, I will not be able to give you guys the full update until I go back to school in mid-January.

On the bright side, I did bring my external hard drive home, which contains some early drafts of the story (since when my old laptop started dying I backed up everything). So as an apology you guys can have a short teaser of something towards the end of the upcoming chapter.

Other than that, happy holidays everyone. Sorry for being a blockhead.

* * *

The intruder stood up and stalked slowly towards him, her sinuous strides bringing her almost too close for comfort. She did not say a word, and Ichika, too, stood still and soundless as she made a slow circuit around him, peering at him from all angles, before coming to a halt directly in front of him and cupping his face with both hands, her bowed lips scarcely a couple inches from his own. From this close position, Chifuyu seemed to search his stony face for something before, having found what she was looking for, stepping back with a satisfied smirk. It was only then that she spoke.

"It's been a while."

"Not long enough, I'm afraid," Ichika replied with a half-pained tone, as if holding back some deep anguish.

"Don't be like that. It's not every day that we have this kind of long-awaited reunion~"

Her words were playful, but they carried an unsettling sense of barely-controlled desire.

The tension in the air was palpable.

"Cut the crap. Why are you here? To fight me? To drag me back?"

His fingers twitched as he prepared for a deadly exchange of blows.

Chifuyu looked amused at his guardedness.

"Oh heavens no, at least not yet... I just wanted to come see how you were doing. You know Nee-chan has been so lonely without you, right? And I know my cute otouto missed me, too."

She took a seat back on the wide couch, beckoning for him to join her. Ichika was reluctant, but detecting no violent intentions, he conceded and sunk cautiously into platce beside her. Even so, he stiffened when he felt deceptively soft hands wrap around his head and drag it downwards to a warm lap. Chifuyu chuckled sweetly at his reaction, before lowering her head closer to his ear and whispering,

"Allow me this, Ichika, for old times' sake?"

The dangerously beautiful woman began gently running her fingers through his midnight hair, a long-discontinued routine that transported them back years into the past, happier times when a young boy and his elder sister spent many a summer evening outside in the same positions, enjoying their time together underneath the moon and the glimmering stars.

From his position, Ichika could not form a word of protest to defy his greatest enemy. He had always been, and even now was, weak to her, and from the aura of triumph he felt radiating from Chifuyu, he knew she knew it too. Captivated by her gentle attentions and awash in her unique scent – frost and camellias – Ichika, as much as he hated himself for it, felt safe, secure…. complete.

But the course of their love never did run smooth, and this delicate peace was fated to shatter into uncountable pieces.


End file.
